A book about basic water machines/properties/flow ?

Hi I'm interested in how different very basic water concepts/properties work such as a waterpump, pressure, hydroponic systems for plants etc. ( i need some intuition) and I'm therefore looking for a book that teaches basic properties of fluid, pressure in a easy to understand (not any heavy equations and fluid mechanics for ingeneers) and way with pictures perhaps practical demonstrations.

Actually I think I'd like both, I just know I learn best if i can mix theory with practical applications/experiments or at least drawings/diagrams.

I've learned the basic high school stuff about electric circuts, chemistry, physics, but I have no practical intuition. I'd like to know the basics of how to make a battery, how to to apply the saltbridge , and i'd like to understand water pressure and propperties and nutritional needs for plants through building a hydrophobic system. I'd also like to build a waterpump. I want to do some of these projects and i need some books that can help me and with a really solid explanation/theory.

Unfortunately Hydroponic gardening is not that hot in Denmark yet so there are very few places that sell their system. As edited in my previous post (#3) i'd really like to get some experience and play around with it myself. I'd love to have a sound DIY book, especially one mixed with a good amount of scientific explanations.